Lock for automobile doors



March 13, 1928. r 1,662,662

' N. w. CUMMINS LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILE DOORS Filed April 20. 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 7 w kw Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN W. CUMMINS, OF PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE & TOWNEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

LOOK FOR AUTOMOBILE DOORS.

Application filed April 20,1926. Serial No. 103,293.

This invention relates to looks for automobile doors, and particularlythose used in closed bodies, one object of the invention being toprovide a lock operable from the 1nside of the automobile on three ofthe doors, in the case of a four door sedan, and on the outside of thefourth door.

The principal object of the invention is to construct the locks in sucha manner that the elements thereof will be identical, re-

gardless of whether the lock is used on a right or a left hand door,thereb eliminating the necessity of forming rig 1t and left'hand'elements for the different doors.

Other advantages and details of the invention will be morefullydescribed hereinafter, being clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is an outside elevation of a portion of an automobile door andthe frame adjacent thereto;

Fig. 2-is a rear elevation of the lock mechanism, the lock having beenremoved'from the door;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along the line 4--4 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along the line 55 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 66 of Fig. 3, andshowing the inside lock in its operative position;

Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are detached perspective views of certainof the details of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, my improved lock comprises a base plate 1adapted to be secured to an automobile door in any suitable manner. baseplate 1 is a main bolt 2 which projects through a rectangular opening 3provided in a flange 4 of the base plate 1. i

The bolt 2is slidably mounted in a rectangular casing 5, which isprovided with projecting tongues 6, adapted to enter apertures 7 in thebase plate-1 and thereafter to be turned toward each other upon theoutside of the base plate, as shown in Fig. 4, for the purpose ofsecuring the casing 5 to the base plate. The bolt 2 is provided with arearward extension 8 having a right angle projection .9 integraltherewith. w A bolt retracting lever 10 is pivoted at 11 Slidablymounted upon the to the base plate 1 and projects upward through anopening 12 in each side of the casing 5, and through a hollow portion 13formed in the bolt 2, between the'bolt proper and the extension 9thereof.

The casing 5 is rounded at one end, and

provides a bearing for an inside abutment lock 14, as shown in Figs. 2and 3. A .follow plate '15 is provided within the casing 5 adjacent thelock 14. Between the plate 15 and the projection 9 of the bolt 2 isprovided a spring 16, adapted to project the bolt outwardly from thecasing 5.

For the purpose of retracting the bolt from the outside a suitablehandle 20 is provided, having a rectangular spindle 21 projectingthrough the door and at its inner end into a rectangular opening in acam 22. The cam 22 is adapted to co-operate with a cam lever 23 which ispivoted upon the pivot spindle 11 of the bolt retracting lever 10.

The cam lever 23 is shaped as shown in Fig. 9, comprising a bodyport-ion 24 and an oii'set portion 25, said oifset portion lying incontact with a flat portion 26 of the cam 22, and a projecting point 27is provided on said cam for co-operative engagement with the lever 23.

Slidably mounted in the follow plate 15 at one of its ends and in anaperture 28 in the extension 9 of the bolt 2 at its opposite end 15 afloating bar 30. The bar 30 is provided with a turned end 31, as shownin Fig. 3, which occupies a position adjacent the retractinglever 10, atthe side opposite the bolt extension 9, and isengaged on its oppositeside by the offset portion 25 of the cam lever 23. A

The inside abutmentloek 14 is provided with a groove 32 into which thefree end of the bar 30 is adapted to project. The lock 14 is providedwith a spindle 33 having a flat side 34 adaptedto engage a projection 35provided in bearing aperture 36 in the base plate 1. The projection 35acts as a stop for the lock 14,whereby the groove 32 in said lock isaligned with the bar 30 as shown in Fig. 2.

As shown in Fig. 6 when the lock 14 is turned to its operative position,the flat portion 34 of the lock spindle engages the projection 35 on itsopposite side thereby maintaining the lock 14 with its solid portionadjacent the end of the floating bar 30.

With the elements in a position as shown in Fig. 2, should the handle 20be turned clockwise, the point 27 of the cam 22 w ll engage the camlever 23, turning it UPOD ItS pivot 11, the said cam lever in turnengaging the projection 31 of the floating bar 30. the projection 31will engage the bolt retracting lever 10 and the lever 10 will engagethe bolt projection 9. Continued rotation of the handle 20 will retractthe main bolt 2 to a position within the limits of the flange 4 of thebase plate 1. In so doing the end of the bar 30 will be projected intothe groove 32 of the bolt 11-. Should it be desired to lock the doorfrom the inside, the lock 14 is turned, by means of its handle 37, fromthe position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. ii. In such aposition, should the haudle 20 be turned, the point 27 of the cam 22would engage the cam lever 23, and the cam lever 23 would in turn engagethe projection 31 of the floating bar 30. Longitudinal movement of thebar 30 would be prevented by means of the end of said bar engaging thesolid portion of the abutment lock 14 and, therefore, the main bolt 2could not be retracted.

In the case of a sedan body having four doors, three of the doors couldbe locked from the inside in the manner above described, and the fourthdoor locked by means of a key inserted within a key barrel 40 forming aportion of a barrel lock which may be of any suitable type, forming nopart of the )resent invention and, there fore, being neither illustratednor described in detail.

1 The key barrel 40 is rotatably mounted within a stator portion 41 ofthe lock in the usual manner, and is provided with a spindle 42 which isrectangular in cross-section and adapted to enter a rectangular openingin a rotary lock 43, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The rotary lock 43 is rotatably mounted in a circular opening 44 formed1n-the base plate 1, and in a circular'opening 45 formed in a brid emember 46 secured to the base plate 1. he rotary lock 43 is providedwith a groove 47 adapted to receive a key bolt 48, which is slidablymounted in the bridge member 46 and is provided with a downwardlyextending projection 49, adapted to enter the space between the camlever 23 and the retracting lever 10, at a point above the projection 31of the floating bar 30.

The rotary lock 43 is flattened on one side as illustrated at 50, Figs.2 and 11, and when the lock is turned clockwise the fiattened portion 50is adapted to be aligned with the top edge of the'key bolt 48. The keybolt 48 is provided with a segmental groove 51, into whichthe bodyportion of the rotary lock 43, comprising the base of the groove 47,extends when the lock is turned in a counter-clockwise direction, and asillustrated in Fig. 2.

In the above position any attempt to turn the handle 20 will be resistedby the point. 27 of the cam 22 engaging the cam lever 23 which in turnengages the projection l9 of the key bolt 48, the key bolt beingprevented from longitudinal movement by the body of the rotary lock 13extending into the segmental groove 51 of said bolt.

The cam 22 is rotatably mounted in a bridge member 52 at one end and ina circular aperture 53 formed in the base plate 1 at its opposite end.The bridge members 46 and 52 are each provided with extended tongues 54adapted to enter openings 55 in the base plate 1. The opposite end ofeach of the bridge elements 4.6 and 52 is provided with a similar tongue56 which projects through the openings 7, 7 in the base plate 1 occupiedby the tongues 6 of the casing 5.

The opening 45 in the bridge member 46 is provided with a limit stop 57adapted to engage the flat portion 50 of the rotary lock 43 in either ofitscxtreme positions.

For the purpose of permitting the intro duction of therotary lock intoits bearings the said rotary lock is provided with a notch 58 adapted topass the stop 57 as the lock is being assembled.

As shown in Fig. 2, the bolt 2 and casing 5.are mounted along thehorizontal center line of the base plate 1, and it will be noticed thatthe centers of rotation of the rotary lock 43 and the cam 22 are equallydistant from said center line of the base plate 1.

The pivot spindle 11, for the retracting lever 10 and the cam lever 23,is secured in an opening 59 in said base plate, and a second opening 59is provided in the base plate equally distant from the center line ofsaid base plate as shown in Fig. 2.

Assuming that the lock as shown in Fig. 2 is adapted to the left handrear door of a four door sedan, in order to situate the lock on the rearright hand door, all that would be necessary to accomplish the desiredresult would be to invert the plate 1 and change the pivot spindle 11from the aperture 59 to the aperture 59", and to reverse the positionsof the bridge elements 46 and 52 with their respective rotary lock 43and cam The casing 5 is provided with a similar opening 12 on each ofits sides, for the accommodation of the retracting lever, cam lever andkey bolt.

It will be understood that the detailed construction of the invention issubject to considerable modification without departing from theessential features of this invention, therefore, only such limitationsshould be placed thereon as are prescribed by the appended claims ornecessitated by the prior art of record, and the drawings should not beconstrued as limiting the invention, be-

ing provided solely for the purpose of illustrating the preferred formof the invention.

I claim:

1. An automobile door lock, adapted for ,use on either right or lefthand doors and the outside of said automobile; a mounting for saidretractor; identically formed aperture's, symmetrically positioned insaid base plate, adjacent each side of said bolt, for operativelyreceiving said retractor and its mounting, at either side of said bolt;and an abutment lock co-operatively aligned with said bolt, on said baseplate, operable from the inside of said automobile.

2. An automobile door lock, adapted for use on either right or, lefthand doors and comprising an invertible base plate; a bolt operativelymounted on said base plate at the longitudinal centre thereof; a handleoperated retractor for said bolt, operable from the outside of saidautomobile; a mounting for said retractor; identically formed apertures,symmetrically positioned in said base plate, adjacent each side of saidbolt, for operatively receiving said retractor and its mounting, ateither side of said bolt; a 1'0- tary lock for said bolt and a mountingtherefor, adapted to be positioned in the set of retractor receivingapertures at the side of the bolt opposite that occupied by theretractor and its mounting; and an abutment lock co-operatively alignedwith said bolt, on said base plate, operable from the inside of saidautomobile.

3. An automobile door lock, adapted for use on either right or left handdoors and comprising an invertible base plate; a bolt operativelymounted on said base plate at the longitudinal centre thereof; a handleoper ated retractor for said bolt, operable from the outside of saidautomobile; a mounting for said retractor; a retractin lever, operablefrom the inside of said automobile and pivoted to said base plate;identically formed apertures, symmetrically positioned in said baseplate, adjacent each side of said bolt, for operatively receivingsaidhandle operated retractor and its mounting and the pivot of saidretracting lever, at either side of said bolt; and an abutment lockco-operatively aligned with said bolt, on said base plate, operable fromthe inside of said automobile.

4. An automobile door lock, adapted for use on either right or left handdoors and comprising an invertible base plate; a bolt operativelymounted on said base plate at the longitudinal centre thereof; a handleoperated retractor for said bolt operable from the outside of saidautomobile; a mounting for said retractor; a retracting lever, operablefrom the inside of said automobile and pivoted to said base plate;identically formed apertures, symmetrically positioned in said baseplate, adjacent each side of said bolt, for operatively receiving saidhandle operated retractor and its mounting and the piv ot of saidretracting lever, at either side of said bolt; a rotary lock, operablefrom the outside of the automobile, for said bolt and a mountingtherefor, adapted to be positioned in the set of retractor receivingapertures at the side of the bolt opposite that 5. An automobile doorlock, adapted for use on either right or leftliand doors and comprisingan invertible base plate; a bolt operatively mounted on said base plateat the longitudinal centre thereof; retracting means for said bolt,comprising a cam mounted on said base plate; a cam lever, pivoted tosaid base plate and adapted to retract s'aid bolt; and identicallyformed apertures, symmetrically positioned in said base plate, adjacenteach side of said bolt, for operatively receiving the elements of iaildretracting means at either side of said 0 t. s 6. An automobile doorlock, adapted for use on either right or left hand doors and comprisingan invertible base plate; a bolt operatively mounted on said base plateat the longitudinal centre thereof; retracting means for said bolt,comprising a cam mounted on said base plate; a cam lever, pivoted tosaid base plate; identically formed apertures, symmetrically positionedin said base plate, adjacent each side of said bolt, for operativelyreceiving the elements of said retracting means, at either side of saidbolt; and a rotary lock for said bolt adapted to be positioned in theretractor cam receiving aperture at the side of the bolt opposite thatoccupied by the retractor cam.-

7 An automobile door lock, adapted for use on either right or left handdoors and comprising an invertible base plate pa bolt operativelymounted'on said base plate at the longitudinal centrethereof; acasingfor said bolt secured to said base plate; retracting means for saidbolt, operable from the outside of said automobile, comprising a cam;and a cam lever, adapted to retract said bolt; a rotary lock for saidbolt; a key bolt, co-operatively associated with said rotary lock; :1projection on said key bolt adapted to engage said cam lever; and meansfor turning said rotary lock, operable frgm the outside of saidautomobile.

8. An automobile door lock, adapted for use on either right or left handdoors and comprising an invertible base plate; a bolt operativelymounted on said base plate at the longitudinal centre thereof; a recessin said belt; a casing for said bolt; recesses in said casing; a handleoperated retractor for said bolt operable from the outside of saidautomobile and comprising a cam and a cam lever; a retracting leveroperable from the inside of said automobile, pivoted to said base plateand adapted to pass through the recesses of said bolt and said casing:an abutment lock, co-operatively aligned with said bolt within saideasing; a floating bar in said casing, adapted to cooperate with saidabutment lock; a projection on said floating bar adapted to lie betweensaid retracting lever and said cam lever; and a spring within saidcasing for projecting said bolt.

9. An automobile door lock, adapted for use on either right or left handdoors and comprising an invertible base plate; a bolt operativelymounted on said base plate at the longitudinal centre thereof; a handleoperated rctractor for said bolt operable from the outside of saidautomobile; a rotary lock for said bolt, operable from the outside ofsaid automobile and comprising a cylindrical member rotatably mounted atone of its ends in a circular aperture formed in said base plate; abridge element secured to the base plate and having an aperture adaptedto receive the opposite end of said cylindrical member; a flat sideformed on said cylindrical member; a key bolt slidably mounted in saidbridge member adjacent said cylindrical member and having a concavityformed in its edge adjacent the said cylindrical member; means forturning the said cylindrical member to move the flat side thereof intoalignment with the adjacent edge of said key *bolt or the curved portionof said cylindrical member into the concavity of said adjacent edge ofsaid key bolt, and a lim it stop for said rotary lock comprising aprojection in the opening of said bridge member adapted to engage eitherend of the flat portion of said cylindrical memher when the saidcylindrical member is turned to either of its said positions.

10. An automobile door lock, comprising a base plate; a bolt operativelymounted on said base plate; a casing for said bolt in which said bolt isadapted to slide; means for retracting said bolt; an abutment lock insaid casing; and means co-operative with said retracting means and saidabutment jJock, for preventing the retraction of said olt.

11. An automobile door lock, comprising a base plate; a bolt opcrativclymounted on said base plate; a casing for said bolt: rctracting means forsaid bolt operable from the outside of the automobile and including acam and a cam lever; an abutment lock in said casing comprising anaiertured cylinder operable from within tie automobile; a floating barin operative engagement with said cam lever adapted to move into thecylinder aperture when the bolt is retracted, and a spring for forcingthe bolt outward.

12. An automobile door lock, comprising a base plate; a bolt operativelymounted on said base plate; a casing for said bolt; retracting means forsaid bolt operable from the outside of the automobile; a spring in saidcasing for moving the bolt outward; an abutment lock in said casingcomprising a cylinder; an aperture in said cylinder; a floating bar insaid casing between the retracting means and the abutment lock, adaptedto normally enter said aperture when the bolt is retracted; means forturning the abutment lock to resent a solid portion of said cylinderadjacent. the end of the floating bar, for resisting retraction of thebolt; and means for securing alignment between the bar and the apertureor the bar and the solid portion of said cylinder.

NORMAN W. CUMMINS.

